If a Car Dealership Can be "Green"..Here's the First

Gensler says it is behind the first "green" car dealership in the U.S. The design, planning, and strategic consulting firm designed a Toyota facility near Dallas which is on track to land a LEED Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The 53,000-square-foot two-story Pat Lobb Toyota in McKinney, Texas, showcases several innovative features, including a car wash and an irrigation system employing recycled water and a heating system that runs in part on waste oil from oil changes. The firm used 80 percent recycled materials to construct the building's exterior and installed a carpet containing recycled automotive windshield glass. Even better: Bike racks and preferred parking for vans used for carpooling offer means for fewer cars on the road. "Initially, the general assumption was that it would be impossible for a car dealership to go green and meet the stringent requirements to do so," says Gensler Dallas' Rick Ferrara, project director for the new dealership. Of course, a true green car dealership would only sell hybrids…but this is a start. ::Gensler via ::Interior Design magazine

If a Car Dealership Can be "Green"..Here's the First

Gensler says it is behind the first "green" car dealership in the U.S. The design, planning, and strategic consulting firm designed a Toyota facility near Dallas which is on track to land a LEED Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The